Wolf Attacks Woman in Idaho (updated)

In an email from her son:

Last night I received a phone call from my mother who lives in Headquarters. She informed me that on Sunday while bow hunting she was attacked by a wolf. A few of you know that she is not your typical mother or grandmother. She has worked as a professional hunting guide for many years, so she has spent many hours in the woods. She has seen wolves on many occasions and this is the first time one came at her. She said as soon as the wolf saw her it charged. She was able to drop her bow, draw her 44 mag out of its holster, and put 1 round in the wolfs head at a range of a few feet.

Please let any of your family and friends know of this so they can take whatever precautions needed while out in the woods.”

“This wolf came running toward Rene last night to attack her. She had to drop her bow & pull her pistol. She shot it in the head about 10 feet from her. She had to shoot it a couple more times to actually kill it. Crazy! This – not even a week after Shane’s dogs were killed by wolves.”

He also told about a group of hunters being guided by a local outfitter in his email. Here’s what they said:

“Took a group of out-of-state elk archery hunters from the Great Lakes region last week. They ended up calling in a pack of 17 wolves by elk cow calling. None of the hunters had a sidearm or wolf tag and it was a very traumatic experience. The wolves surrounded us. All of those hunters went home early, very disturbed claiming that these wolves are very different from the Great Lakes wolves. These Idaho wolves actually “hunt” you, and were not afraid!”

Main reason we aren't going to Idaho elk hunting this year. Been hunting the Avery area for 15 years and no elk left. No cows, no calves just wolves. Next it will be a child attacked with no way to defend itself. Thank the liberals for this one.

I THINK THIS BULLSHIT CREATING WOLF HYSTERIA! CLEARLY SHE WAS OUT FOR A WOLF HUNT! OR WITCH HUNT! WHICH SHE IS THE "WITCH" SHAME ON HER AND ANYONE THAT HUNTS THESE BEAUTIFUL ANIMALS HUMANS MOVED IN ON THEIR HOME NOT THEM MOVE IN ON HUMANS….. ITS THEIR WOODS! "SO STAY OUT".

Johnny Ray Pierce I didn't know the earth was their land…I thought God created it for us…just like the animals…??? They are overpopulated and no matter what…animals are NOT more important than humans. They are killing/hurting our humans…they were reintroduced incorrectly and the plan was terribly flawed…people's lived and livelihoods are suffering because of thoughtlessness…period.

Johnny Ray Pierce you apparently don't get the "BIG PICTURE". Let me guess you'd put your pig before your kin. When it comes to life and death especially amongst children the wolf will always lose. It doesn't mean everybody is wolf haters they just love human life over an animal that doesn't think twice about its decisions. You'd have to be some kind of animal to think any different. As far as invading an animals space"moved in on their homes" unless you're living in an air bubble floating around your doing the same thing.Be kind to people!!!!!

it had to been provoked some how. such a shame that such an amazing creature had to be killed because a human was in their territory trying to take away more of their food sources. people are disgusting.

Johnny Ray Pierce hunters manage wildlife and its habitat. They don't hunt to extinction. Look up Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Ducks Unlimited, Wild Turkey Federation, Quail Unlimited, Wildlife Forever etc…and see all they have done to manage a sustainable population. It will be far above what people that just don't like hunting have done. Wildlife management is not just feeding the animals…it is maintaining a balance.

Johnny Ray Pierce Why do you feel you have to PERSONALLY attack us humans…when did I ever attack YOU??? Are you part wolf? I'm hoping you're more human, but at this point, I'm not sure. And, that isn't a personal attack against you, I just can't tell where your HUMANITY is. I don't think I've ever been called thoughtless in my life. I actually am made fun of (IN A NICE WAY…do you know what that is?…and there is NO "LOL" about your comments when you're being disrespectful, by the way) because I will pull over for a stray dog any day of the week and I pray for those animals I can't help. I also don't support animal cruelty, just in case you thought otherwise. I mainly, however, don't support HUMAN CRUELTY, which you rather seem to enjoy. The wolves were reintroduced to our area incorrectly, PERIOD…they are overpopulated and DEADLY (to other animals and humans) PERIOD…they VICIOUSLY and GROTESQUELY attack their prey, PERIOD. Hunters (most) are great sportsmen and have respect for wildlife and they understand there needs to be a balance…and the wolves are grossly endangering that balance. If you truly cared, or understood, you wouldn't be disrespectful (your comment to Shawna Pauley was distasteful and ridiculous) and maybe you could even be helpful…imagine that.

I'm glad this woman is safe! I think wolves are kind of cool..they were my favorite animal as a child. My mother knew someone who had a wolf hybrid on her ranch which was interesting ( HUGE ) I was able to pet it but only for a few seconds because even at the age of 8 I knew about some wild animals and their behaviors..even if they were "tame" or whatever….and hybrid wolves can even be unpredictable. but anyways… Johnny Ray Piece…I THINK IF A WILD WOLF WAS COMING AT YOU..THEN YOU WOULD WANT TO SAVE YOURSELF AND KILL IT TO! haha… you are basically telling us that you would let the wolf kill you? haha this woman had a right to kill this wolf! My boyfriend's brother and father are hunters as well…i certainly wouldn't want them killed by a wolf! would you want your girlfriend or friend killed? don't think so buddyyy.

I think wolves are cool as well. That being said, I have no problem with hunting them as long as we don't wipe them out. Protecting yourself should go without saying. If people think that a wolf's life if more valuable than a human life, we have big problems as a society.

Shawna Pauley "they just love human life over an animal that doesn't think twice about its decisions" … most HUMANS don't think twice about their decisions… animals most certainly do; in fact, predatory animals like wolves strategically plan their decisions… which is why they are skillful hunters. idiot

Carole Brewer Meyer wolves are deadly, and they DO viciously and grotesquely attack their prey because, unlike humans, they don't have sniper rifles that allow them to 1shot their prey from afar. they were given tooth and claw… how else do you expect them to use that? i understand that there needs to be a balance but people like YOU who can't even understand the mindset of a creature such as a wolf sure as hell shouldn't be the one killing it

It had to be provoked somehow??? Are you for real??? You're a "people" and you're definitely making us look bad. Until you understand how HUMANS are MORE IMPORTANT than animals and how the incorrect overpopulation of wolves is devastating to humans, please don't post uneducated babble. I really don't enjoy being rude, because I love HUMANS (and I LOVE ANIMALS)…but anyone who devalues humans offends me!

My father had a timber wolf while I was growing up. He was a great companion, and very soft tempered animal. However, It should be noted that wolves are canines. Just as a pack of wild dogs can turn on humans and become a danger so too can wolves.

I love wolves, but last week while camping alone in the woods one entered my campsite. It walked right into the fire light with out any fear. I chased it off, but it reluctantly left, and then came back twice more. Once it approached me from behind. It tried three different angles of entering my camp. Each time I screamed at it and it hesitantly left. I'm pretty sure it was after my dog that was sitting in the camp while this was taking place. I found it unusual that the animal would approach a lit fire and a human in the first place…..also a little odd that my screaming didn't detour it much. I do think the idaho wolves are a bit different…..or maybe a bit more desperate.

Im a tree hugger, I wont lie With that being said these animals can be dangerous – just as any pack of canines can be dangerous. It would be very wise to watch their population growth in Idaho. We can treat these animals with respect, and limit their numbers. They are damaging Idaho…..but they do deserve to be dealt with humanely as any animal does.

It almost sounds like people have been feeding them. This is NOT typical wolf behavior, and going by the size of this one, as well as body type, this isn't a gray wolf. When I fisrt heard this story, I was thinking hybrid, but this wolf resmbles every thing I've heard and read of dire wolves in body type. In the last picture, it even looks like a young wolf. Dire wolves have larger overall body size, with larger teeth and splayed feet. Gray wolves have compact feet, much like the coyote (only larger of course). I love wolves, and would hate to see them erradicated again, but if they are attacking people (and it really sounds like most have lost their fear of people), then some thing needs to be done.

well geez if someone was bringing hunters with bows in the woods I would have attacked the psycho too, poor wolves they only attack humans if threatened smh at you beasts killing animals, you people seriously need to stop posting bs and learn your facts.

heres a thought if she was "attacked" like she claims dont u think shed have bite/scratch marks? people are using lame ass lies to kill animals and cold blooded killers (hunters) are defending the murderers

Hey Johnny, the wolves are killing all the game animals. And I do mean all. The largest Elk herd in North America went from 17,000 down to 4,000. Soon they'll all be gone. Then the deer are next. And what else eats deer besides humans? Bear, all the big cats, coyotes. Wolves are already hitting cattle hard and have started attacking people. They don't kill just to eat. They slaughter for fun because it's what they do. When we eradicated them from the NW, game animals flourished. When the eco-idiots put them (Canadian wolves, which are larger and have a population in their natural habitat – which is NOT in the U.S. – well over 20,000 that we know about) into Yellowstone (where I grew up) they didn't stay because Yellowstone is not where wolves live. Never have. And they didn't stay. There are approximately 2,000 pairs in Mt, Id, Co, Ut, Or and Wa. And wolves are not monogamous creatures. Males have multiple breeding partners and they range over 1,000 miles, dropping pups all along the way. When Justin says kill them all, he's not being a shithead, he's saying we have to kill them or there will be no game animals. Or cows, or creatures besides humans that eat elk, deer, moose, etc… This is not hype, hyperbole or hot air; this is happening right now. It is endangering our food supply as the stress on cattle from these attacks makes their milk go dry, and makes the females miscarry. They drop weight and the calves are killed in such numbers that ranchers are no longer able to maintain herd size. And it's going to get a lot worse. Human managed and harvested game herds have been the healthiest and largest on record. Until the past 2 years where wolf population has gone uncontrolled.

well I know that he felt threatened, is why he attacked, he had a family, just like the woman, he had children & grandchildren, just like the woman, the woman felt threatened by an…."attack", & its justified, I Know I get it, but it's NOT justified that the beautiful wolf was protecting HIS family, it is NOT justified that he excercized HIS right to eliminate the threat to his loved one's. This sort of thing needs to stop, I am NOT saying (& never will), that the woman should have just let it happen, NO GOD forbid, that would be devistating to…all, but can we just KNOW our surroundings & just be more respectful & thoughtful of out animal brothers & sisters.

They are over populated? Last time I checked, they didn't number in the billions. Besides their numbers are no where near that of what they were when we started to systematically wipe them out.
And it's not that we value people over animals, we just understand that killing them isn't the answer. There has to be balance, and wolves and other apex predators bring that.
And you want to know why there aren't elk where they used to be? The wolves keep them moving, which in turn prevents overgrazing, which improves the health of not only the plants, but also the entire ecosystem, including the elk. This is the way it was meant to be. These animals are designed to live this way. Look at Yellowstone befor the reintroduction. It was DYING! They plants, animals, everything in the park was facing death because of the over grazing of elk. Since the reintroduction, the park has flourished!
This is grade school science, how is it you don't understand?

It is strange behavior……………..UNLESS like Lenn Woodward said, it was protecting the family but about the Idaho wolves…………maybe THEY are tired of us hunting them for any reason. The laws keep changing about wolf hunting…………….were they are land where all of their prey had been wiped out? Like Sarah Starr said below………….packs of dogs will do the same thing. 7 pit bulls just killed a toddler in the news today. It isn't just a breed when dogs run in packs.

Part of the reason why there may not be any elk left is because the wolves are forcing them to keep moving. While it sucks that your favorite hunting area no longer has elk, chances are that they are still there, they're just being forced by the wolves to be more natural.
I like hunting, and I like wolves, so I can see both sides of your story. However, wolves do play a key part in keeping nature in balance. Yellowstone was being eaten by the elk. Deer were dying, fish, bison, everything; then they reintroduced the wolves and it force the elk to stop overgrazing, and to keep moving.
I hope you find a new hunting area Robert, and that maybe one day you will enjoy the wolves for the good they do and accept the things (like eating elk) that they can't help.

By the way, do you live in a city? The gang bangers are only killing people because they are in their territory. So it only makes sense to not try to catch the murderers in your neighborhood. They are only doing what comes natural to them. Same thing.

Would love to see the stats on wolves attacking humans… it almost NEVER HAPPENS! Why not spend your time hunting something you can eat? It's one thing to arm yourself when in the wild, quite another to hunt wolves for the hell of it! Why? Carrying a gun is wise just in case you're attacked by an animal or (surprise!) by another human — a much more likely occurrence, actually!

Wolves need to be hunted just like other game animals, period! Wolves do not have a free ride. We as humans also do not have a free ride in life. We have made custodians of this plant by God and it is our job to insure all animals have the right to exist. Controlled hunting is the one tools we have to insure that ALL animals have a chance at a normal life. Nature dictates that most wild animals die a violent death by design to feed other animals. Controlled hunting helps maintain a balance and is much more merciful. Been eaten alive is common in nature while a well placed bullet is normally very quick. As a hunter, I thank the creator for the bounty allowed me and I treat the animal with respect. Bambi only exists in Disney's mind and has no place in real life.

why would you want your picture with the wolf on the news, if you were not happy about killing it.i do not know whether to believe her story or not.unless the wolf had rabies they always run away from humens.

Totally not normal wolf behavior. I should know, I have a pet wolf. He's about the sweetest laziest bum of a dog I ever did own, though not technically a dog. I'm thinking, as others have said, this one was either being fed or defending it's territory. Lone wolves don't typically go after humans unless very desperate, and this one looks far from desperate. It's a pity she killed it. Dunno why a shot in the shoulder wouldn't have worked, but then, once animal control heard they'd have it killed anyway… Sometimes I think I like wolves better than humans!

last night, a innocent woman went for her nightly jog up near the Bitteroot Basin drainage in Montana after reading about the latest Myley Cyrus incident on her I-PHONE and was attacked by a deranged and bloodthirsty killer. It was a crackhead methfreak who felt threatened and along with his Pitbull decided to protect what he thought was his campsite and became like a mad dog resulting in her " like totally not believing she was in a movie scene" from the latest horror flick from Quentin Tarintino.

another item to DIGEST, no fun intended, there are many wolf hybrids that once the cuddly little cub/dog/wolf plaything grows up and its disposition really starts to show and is no longer a novelty pet because he requires large amounts of attention, has chewed everything in sight, and cant figure out if hes a wild animal or a domestic animal, are now roaming many rural places in search of food and protecting themselves as well as their feral pack members and will eat your cat, dog , frog, hog, all because you let him go, to be free in the WILD just like the last movie showed with the newest film celeb who just endorsed the latest FRAGRANCE for MANLY MEN!

I hope that this incident does not open the door to the wholesale slaughter of these beautiful animals as was done in the past. Most accounts that I have read indicate it is extremely rare that a wolf will attack humans. The ad on this page to sign up for a wolf hunt is truly sickening.

We tried to tell people when they were cramming "reintroduction" of the wolves in Idaho that we didn't want it. They are not even the same wolves that were hunted to extinction. These are Canadian wolves, and now that they have multiplied to the point of infestation, we get to deal with them killing herds, domestic pets, people, etc. Thanks, Washington DC!

It's funny how people get so bent out of shape when a wofle attacts a human, but think it's ok for humans to kill wolves. I may bw against killing wolves as a sport. But a person should be able to protect themselves to the max, whether it be a wolf attacking or a human. I'm glad Rene was fast enough to save herself, sad to see the wolf killed, but better the wolf then her. The real sad thing about this is, now the people in Idaho will try harder to wipe out the wolves.

Obama never said give up your guns , he was referring to assault weapons idiot everyone has the right to bare arms so quit lying on Obama and if ppl didn't go to where these animals live they would not have to worry about these things happening . ppl go out in the wilderness and then want to kill the animals for doing what they do , the animal didn't come knock on they're door . they kill what the animals eat and if the animal attack then they want to kill the animal for protecting his territory .

what is disgusting to me s those sissified scientist crying that we are thinning out predator animals so they can turn around and attack our pets , livestock and humans. scientist ought to keep their minds on more important things. this is how I feel about it right or wrong those same people don't get upset when a whole school of dolphins washing ashore.

From the pictures that I have seen posted that wolf looked very thin to me, maybe it was simply hunting on it's turf for food. I am very glad that the woman was not injured but it is/was sad to kill such a beautiful creation that belongs where he was. Maybe these animals are starting to take offense at losing their homes, I mean where are they suppose to live that people have not invaded and disrupted.

Sue Crowell , no they are not at their home. These are not the native timber wolves. these are Canadian wolves that are HUGE and are killing everything in their range. Young elk being their favorite. They kill for the thrill of the kill, leave carcasses laying and move on for another kill.

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